As set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,384, screening apparatus for large equipment can be difficult and time consuming to remove when it is necessary to make repairs or adjustments unless the screening apparatus is constructed and arranged so that it can be moved easily from its normal location around the equipment. In that patent, the screening apparatus was designed so that panels could be moved quickly and easily away from, and back to, their normal screening location by a single person without need for equipment to move the screening apparatus. Unfortunately, it has been found that on occasion severe weather conditions would force the panels from their securing tracks. And even more perversely, it has been found that individuals repairing the screened equipment often removed the panels and then failed to replace them after the repairs had been completed.
In addition to the problem of “lost” panels, members of the framework supporting the panels and the channels in which they were mounted were typically welded together. This of course required extensive and exact setup prior to and during the welding process. Further, due to the vibration of the underlying equipment to which the screen was mounted, welds were found to be subject to breakage with subsequent deleterious consequences to the screen panels. Further it has been observed that sliding panels, i.e., panels that slide in lower channels are often difficult to move due to dirt and other debris that may accumulate in the lower channels. Also the alignment and fastening of decorative trim panels to the panel retainers can be a time consuming and tedious process and removal can be difficult if fasteners become corroded and difficult to remove.
In order to overcome these problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a framework that is easy to assemble.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a framework that is adjustable with only a minimum of assembler effort.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a framework that avoids weld breakage.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide covering panels (sheets) that afford easy access to the underlying machinery.
It is another object of the present invention to provide covering panels that are incapable of being removed from their tracks.
It is another object of the present invention to provide covering panels capable of accepting user indicia.
It is another object of the present invention to provide covering panels that are easily moveable within their mounting channels.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a rapid and easy method of attaching trim panels to the panel retainer.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of protecting fasteners from rust and corrosion.
It is therefore the main purpose of the present invention to provide quick and easy access to the screened unit while preventing loss of the screening sheets and providing an attractive appearance at all other times with an assembly that is easy to assemble and which avoids breakage due to severe machinery vibration.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following disclosure in which one or more preferred embodiments of the invention are described in detail and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It is contemplated that variations in procedures, structural features and arrangement of parts may appear to a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.